A stay in Harefield can be shaped around three specific interests: a clearly defined section of the Hillingdon Trail, natural areas, and the village’s history and wartime heritage. The Harefield Locks section offers a route with a start and finish; Dews Farm Sandpits adds a range of habitats and a nature trail. For those interested in culture, the memorials on the Village Green and the history of the Australian military cemetery provide a different focus. You can decide first whether walking, wildlife watching or historic places should be at the heart of your trip.
The Harefield Locks Section of the Hillingdon Trail
The Harefield Locks section of the Hillingdon Trail is five miles long and runs from Harefield Church to Springwell Lock. It passes through Old Park Wood; the Jacobean almshouses are among the points of interest along the route. In spring, bluebells, coralroot and goldilocks grow in profusion between two sections of Old Park Wood. The details are relevant in different ways to planning your trip: the flowers are a seasonal feature, while the length and endpoints describe the route itself. If you like to include specific trail features in your choice, you can use these points as a guide without confusing the seasonal plants with the route description.
The Natural Setting of Dews Farm Sandpits
Dews Farm Sandpits was once a mineral quarry and was later reclaimed by nature. Today, the site combines habitats of acidic grassland and young woodland. In summer, flowers and butterflies bring the area to life. Dews Farm Sandpits is also designated a Site of Borough Importance and lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt. Its former use and present-day habitats give it a different natural character from the wooded section of the Hillingdon Trail.
The entrance to Dews Farm Sandpits is on Harvil Road in Harefield. The nature trail through the site includes some steps. Bear this route information in mind when planning if you intend to use the nature trail. The entrance details and the note about the steps help distinguish practical orientation from the site’s habitats and landscape features.
Village History and Memorials
Harefield Village Green is in the Harefield Village Conservation Area. At the southeastern corner of the Green stands the Harefield War Memorial, a ten-metre-high obelisk. It commemorates the village residents who fell in the First World War. The Church of St Mary in Harefield is a Grade I listed building. Harefield’s historical themes therefore sit side by side: a protected church building and a memorial dedicated specifically to the fallen residents of the village.
The Australian War Memorial tells a different story: it is the centrepiece of the military cemetery for Australian soldiers who died of their wounds while patients at Harefield Place Hospital during the First World War. The entrance arch to Harefield Australian Military Cemetery is made of Portland stone and probably dates from around 1921. The historical focus of this cemetery is on the Australian soldiers and their connection with Harefield Place Hospital, distinguishing it from the memorial to local residents on Harefield Village Green.
Wildlife at Broadwater Lake
Broadwater Lake in Harefield also offers a distinctive natural attraction. The lake is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Its wildlife—including waterbirds, otters, reptiles, amphibians and numerous insect species—is complemented by this protected status. Broadwater Lake thus adds another clearly defined focus for nature enthusiasts to the range of habitats at Dews Farm Sandpits.
Discover more destinations: Ruislip, West Drayton, Harlington, Harmondsworth, Uxbridge, Northwood, Ickenham
Go to the main travel overview: Hillingdon.
